


Before The Fall

by FlashBastard



Category: Good Omens - Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett
Genre: Angel Crowley (Good Omens), Heaven
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-19
Updated: 2019-08-19
Packaged: 2020-09-07 06:44:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,463
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20305165
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FlashBastard/pseuds/FlashBastard
Summary: Crowley and Aziraphale knew each other before the great rebellion





	Before The Fall

Aziraphale was actually rather proud of his flaming sword. He knew that angels shouldn't be proud but how could he not be? It was a literal gift from God. And him, being a pricipality, being given such a gift wasn't very common at all. He definitely cherished the sword. He usually kept it in its scabbard, though, tightly secured to his waist so that it would not get lost. One mustn't lose something like that, after all. At this particular moment he'd been charged with making sure that no one that wasn't supposed to got into the temple in which God was currently speaking to the Archangels. He understood it to be giving them their special assignments but it wasn't his place to know. He just had to keep out the curious.

One such curious angel was a very nice looking, fiery haired angel. Aziraphale didn't know this one's name but the angel was walking right toward him.

"Can I help you?" He asked quietly. Best not to raise any suspicions from those inside.

"I'm just curious." The other angel grinned and motioned with his head toward the temple door.

"Well, I'm afraid you'll have to continue to be curious. No one allowed inside that isn't already there....um....."

"Nithael." The angel replied, still smiling.

"Nithael, yes. Very nice to meet you. I'm Aziraphale."

"Oh, I know who you are. You're probably the most favored of the principalities. It's quite an honor to actually meet you." The red haired angel gave a little bow. Aziraphale was sure that his cheeks were pinker than the cheribim's.

"I'm not really that special." He shook his head.

"Don't be so down on yourself, Aziraphale. You got a flaming sword. You're guarding the secret meeting. That means a lot." Nithael nodded. "I'm going to let you get back to your duty but perhaps later, when you're not busy, we could talk some more?"

"I would like that very much." Aziraphale nodded. Nithael gave another quick bow and then practically bounded away. He did seem a little happier than angels usually were.

"Oh stop it, he's a sweetie." Nithael was saying to some of the other angels. Aziraphale had seen that bright red hair from quite a ways off and walked over to join them.

"Is he?" An angel that Aziraphale didn't recognize said.

"Yes. An absolute darling. I think you'd like him." Nithael grinned.

"Well, we're about to find out." Haniel gestured over Nithael's shoulder. The red haired angel turned and smiled a little brighter at Aziraphale.

"Come on, join us." He motioned the other angel over. Aziraphale was obviously very nervous. While he was a principality, he didn't really spend time with many of the other angels. "Haniel, Imamiah, this is Aziraphale."

"Pleased to meet you." Haniel said.

"Yes, quite." Aziraphale said with a nod. "Very nice to meet the both of you." It was hard to relax when he wasn't quite sure how he was going to be received by the others. Both angels looked at Nithael for a moment.

"We really should get going, Nithael. Same time tomorrow?" Imamiah said.

"Absolutely. Wouldn't miss it." Nithael nodded and the other two angels left.

"I hope I didn't drive your friends off." Aziraphale picked at an imaginary spot on his robes. Of course there was no dirt in heaven to make a spot but he did it anyway.

"You didn't. Promise." Nithael smiled and put an arm around Aziraphale's shoulders. "Besides, I'd rather talk to you." He gave the shorter angel a little wink. The two ended up spending hours just sitting and talking. They got to know each other better than they knew anyone else in all of Heaven. Almost better than they knew themselves. Time just flew right by as they talked.

Day after day was spent like that. When the two of them weren't busy with other tasks, they were together. Joined at the wings, Haniel had called it and Nithael found that he didn't mind at all. He liked Aziraphale quite a lot and actually began to realize that he was starting to fall in love with him. It wasn't something angels normally did but of course it had to be okay or God wouldn't allow it to happen in the first place, right?

Months and months went by with the two of them just enjoying each other's company, spending as much time together as they were allowed. The problem was that when Aziraphale was busy, Nithael started to spend time with some of the other angels that didn't seem very happy with the way things were going in Heaven.

"You have to see what he's doing!" Aziraphale said heatedly one day. Nithael had told him about what Lucifer had been saying. How a principality ended up hanging out with an archangel was beyond Aziraphale but it didn't matter.

"I see that he's trying to enlighten us. We can't just be sheep for all eternity, can we?" Nithael shook his head.

"Yes, we can. It's why we were created in the first place!" Aziraphale started to pace. "Nithael, he's very dangerous. Please, you need to stop listening to him. He's going to get you into trouble."

"Telling me what to do, are we?" Nithael crossed his arms, his wings fluttering a bit.

"No, absolutely not. I'm merely suggesting that maybe Lucifer isn't leading you in the right direction. I would hate to see anything happen to you." Aziraphale moved closer and ran his hands up and down Nithael's arms. The angel relaxed a bit and moved his hands to Aziraphale's waist.

"Nothing's going to happen to me, my darling. I'm not even sure I actually agree with what he's saying." He shook his head. "Sometimes I just get caught up in the moment."

"I know, Nithael. I know. It's very easy. He's well spoken." Aziraphale had heard one of Lucifer's speeches. It did make a little bit of sense but not enough for Aziraphale to really listen.

"I'll be careful, darling. I promise." Nithael said softly before resting his forehead against Aziraphale's.

"Thank you." Aziraphale moved his arms up to wrap around Nithael's shoulders, pulling him closer. He really couldn't bear the thought of anything happening to him. Nithael thought for a brief moment of admitting his true feelings for Aziraphale but he decided that it could wait another day.

The problem was that "another day" never came. Very shortly after his conversation with Aziraphale, Nithael got caught up in the moment again. He was listening to a rather impassioned speech, not realizing exactly what was going on around him. By the time Nithael realized exactly what was going to happen, it was too late. He'd been swept up in the middle of a rebellion that he never really wanted to participate in. And then there was the battle and then there was the fall.

When everything was over and the metephorical smoke cleared, Aziraphale started searching. He had to find Nithael. He had to. There was no way that his angel had been caught up in all of that nonsense. He had to have been fighting on the side of Heaven, yes? That was it. He just had to track him down. Heaven was a very big place, after all, he just hadn't looked in the right place yet.

"Aziraphale?" Gabriel said as he noticed the angel searching for something, or someone.

"Gabriel! Hello. I'm glad to see you're well." And that he hadn't ended up with the rebellious lot, but Aziraphale kept that to himself.

"Are you looking for something?" Gabriel tilted his head as he watched the angel.

"I...um....well. Someone actually." Maybe Gabriel knew what happened to him. "I seem to have misplaced my friend Nithael. Have you seen him?" He cleared his throat and looked around for a moment before looking back at Gabriel.

"Yes, actually. I'm sorry but.....he was with the rebels." Gabriel wasn't really sorry. They deserved what they got, after all.

"I'm sorry?" Aziraphale had heard him but he didn't quite believe it.

"He fell, Aziraphale. He's gone." Gabriel went over and gave the other angel a pat on the shoulder before walking away. Why would he be upset that a rebel had been banished.

"Oh, yes. Unfortunate." Aziraphale nodded and swallowed. He took a few deep breaths to try to hold his emotions in check. Angels weren't supposed to have emotions after all. But there was nothing that stopped the heart aching sadness that sank in at the thought that he'd lost his best friend. He would never see that beautiful red hair again. Those piercing green eyes. That smile that made the sun look dim in comparison. He would never get a chance to tell him that he loved him.


End file.
